The Peasant and The Prince
by Riolu16
Summary: I'm back guys! A Riolu who lives his life in poverty and stealing from others finally gets what's coming to him. But what happens when the Prince Zorua decides his punishment is unfair and he disobeys his father's wishes and even running off from home to make a new friend. Prepare for a story about two new friends who want opposite things in the world. Be sure to follow and comment
1. Chapter 1: Amongst a Peasant

Chapter I: Amongst a Peasant

Running. That seems to be all I do anymore.

I'd say hiding as well but that'd be kind of inaccurate. But all I knew at that moment was that I'd better pick up the freaking pace or I was gonna be caught!

I gasped for breath as I noticed my pursuers gaining on me.

"I swear this is the last time I ever try to steal from royalty," I cursed myself.

I swore under my breath as I noticed the three Bisharp right on my tail. With a flash of movement I whirled around and fired a mighty aura sphere to the one in the middle. Following this maneuver I managed to avoid a swing from one of the Bisharps' blades pressed my forepaws into the ground and pushed myself with all my fighting type strength to unleash a devastating kick upon my second opponent.

I concluded my assault by firing another aura sphere towards the ground, enveloping us all in a massive cloud of smoke. I closed my eyes to rely on my aura vision to get me through the smoke untouched by the now dazed enemy.

After running for what felt like an hour I halted myself and rested my back against a tree. With what I assumed was a mix of a gasp and a chuckle I said to myself, "Man… That was almost too close."

I let my body fall against the tree and felt the mysterious rucksack under my forearm. After taking a moment to catch my breath I began to unravel it. Tugging at the soft, velvet rope constricting the sack and removing it to unveil whatever treasure I had just acquired.

'Ohh man, what could it be?! Is it a gold nugget? Some kind of family treasure? Prince Zorua's crown? Or maybe…'

"A… Ball?" I wondered inquisitively.

There was no doubt about it, the longer I held it in my paws, the lower my jaw dropped.

"All of that… for a damn ball?" I snarled under deep breaths.

Using my childish ambition I thought there had to be something else to this ball! Maybe the treasure is just inside? Nope. Or maybe it's made of some kind of super rubber that can't be broken?

My idiocy was only proven as I pressed the ball don with all my might and it popped with little effort under my weight.

I could only leer at the ball in total confusion. Why would they go through so much trouble to save a stupid ball?

"Hey…"

My ears perked up as I could hear a sudden voice that anyone would be familiar with, and the worst part was that there was no stopping anything. I was too exhausted to even move.

"You broke my new ball…" the Prince Zorua seemed to be alone, at least that was as far as my aura vision could tell.

I aimed my paw outward at him, ready to use any energy I have left to knock him out with an aura sphere. He flinched at my motion and I could only see the fear in his eyes. He wasn't here to fight me, that was for sure.

But his aura… It's not fear… It's curiosity. Why? Is he wondering why I broke his ball maybe?

"Well… you're rich, just buy a new one," I snapped.

"But I didn't buy it… That ball had sentimental value to me. Why go out of your way to destroy it?"

'Am I really gonna tell him my real reasoning for it?'

I sighed and let my paw rest at the ground, "Look, Prince. I'm sorry for breaking your ball. I'll pay ya back whenever I can and-"

My speech was rudely interrupted by an incredibly painful blow to the left side of my skull. A follow up attack was made as I noticed I could no longer breathe. A crushing kick to my gut had rendered me breathless.

I could feel my hands being tethered behind my back and thus my legs hovering above the ground as I be carried off. To my possible doom.

Later That Day

I coughed and spat as I opened my eyes only to find myself in what appeared to be awaiting for me for the longest time. Prison. A prison for thieves and other criminal or juvenile Pokemon like myself.

Only this was no ordinary prison, it was clearly the king's dungeon. I would know consider as how I've been in the traditional prisons only to be released three days later due to my young age and how I "don't know any better".

But this is King Zoroark's dungeon, which means whatever I say or do there's nothing stopping him. He's the law here. So if he wants to have me tortured for hours upon hours, there's no wrong doing. But all I have to do is hope that maybe this situation will turn out better.

After all… my big brother, Travis, always said, "No matter how bad things look, there's always light at the end of the tunnel."

But that was where my situation became grimmer. The thought of me rotting in a dungeon with no life lived. It broke me inside. And I promised my brother after he died I would get myself together and stop stealing. Did I?

No. And now that I thought more about it this was going to happen anyways. It was bound too. And at that moment I began to think of mistake I'd ever made. And it was obviously far too late to go back.

But my thoughts were soon interrupted as I could hear the cell doors being opened. And all I could do at that point was lay back down and close my eyes. Praying that maybe I had some hope after all.


	2. Chapter 2: Lost Riches

Chapter 2: Lost Riches

My attempts to feign death were quickly proven unsuccessful as I was bludgeoned across the face from what felt like a hand with a hefty set of claws. With a grunt I opened my eyes and stared at the attacker, only to be completely shocked to see none other than King Zoroark in the cell with me and also in the cell were two Bisharp.

"You have got quite the record, here kid. It made my jaw drop, seeing the number but wow. 32 charges of grand theft, over 300 counts of petty theft, and even a murder accusation… Apparently proven false."

My eyes widened at his bold statement, "You don't have proof of anything…"

"Contraire, young Rolo… I mean Juke, or was it Tom? It looks to me like you really like to play as other people."

I leered into the kings eyes, hating every fiber of his body already. He was referring to my false aliases after multiple failed stealing attempts. I always had a different name for myself in case word got out about me. I'll admit, for someone my age I was a better thief than most expert criminals.

"You destroyed a family heirloom that has been passed down for generations. My son and the guards were retrieving it from its resting place… Which probably took them about 4 hours. That's a long way to go for something so simple but so precious. So not only did you destroy my family's heirloom, you assaulted my guards, and hurt my son. So tell me, whatever your new name is now…" he leaned in really close to my ear with a claw to my throat, "Give me one reason I shouldn't have executed."

I felt my whole body tense up, and my legs began to tremble at the thought of my own death. Prison I could understand, but… Execution? Wasn't that a bit unnecessary?

My state of mind went from angry to almost pathetically sorry.

Sincerely near tears, I replied, "King Zoroark… I'm sorry."

"You'll have to do a lot better than an apology. Tell me, kid. What is your life worth to you? Because as far as I'm concerned it's worth nothing. I'd be repaying every Pokemon you stole from by ending it now…"

"No… I can change. Just give me a chance. I'll… change… I promise…" I sobbed uncontrollably hoping it would alter my inevitable fate.

"You had a chance to change… What's so different now?"

I couldn't reply, I just simply remained there with heaving breaths and pathetic sobs.

"I don't have time for this… Do it now."

I felt an instant panic take over as I was held down and could feel a Seviper approaching closer. Ready t bite me and finish everything.

"NO! NO!" I would scream as I attempted wriggle away, "PLEASE!"

I closed my eyes almost accepting my fate, until I opened them again as I noticed the grip from the guards was no more. Was I… Dead?

I looked over who appeared to be my savior, a Combusken and a Zorua stood above a fallen Seviper and one of the Bisharp. I could feel my heart pounding within my chest.

"Combusken!? Zorua!? What the hell are you doing?"

"I apologize, your majesty. But Master Zorua's wish is my command as you have stated."

The prince approached his father directly, and I just watched the whole scene thankfully.

"Dad, all you do is execute Pokemon for doing something wrong. When are you going to learn that people change no matter who they are?"

The king protested, "If he wanted to change he would have done it by now."

"That's because he has had no one to show him how. I read those papers on him. He doesn't have a family to help him, the only family he had was 3 years ago when his brother died. He hasn't had anyone to tell him right from wrong-"

"He's had multiple people tell him it's wrong on multiple occasions. If he really was going to change-"

"Don't bring that up again, father. When mom died, I was on a behavior crisis like he was. You didn't execute me, in fact you didn't even put me in a dungeon. You sent me to my room. I'm not asking that you free him from here, I just want you to realize his life might be worth more than what you think it is."

I looked over at the king, who now had a fire in his eyes as he stared back at me.

"My son… He destroyed our family heirloom, does that not mean anything?" the king stated.

"I don't care about some stupid ball, father. His life isn't worth that. All you do is kill and kill and I'm sick of it. So I tell you what, if you're going to kill him then I will resign my heir to someone of my choosing. And you know who it will be."

A bit confused by the topic, I just shrugged it off and kept listening.

The king huffed, stared down his son and then me.

"Fine. Damian, you will remain in this dungeon until further notice. Consider this a blessing, child. Because it's not too often my son tries to save the day. You owe him your life."

I nodded and wiped my eyes of any tears.

The king stood, as did everyone else in the room, "Well… I'll have someone prepare your meal then. Seeing as how you're the only prisoner we have here it shouldn't be too hard. But don't expect a gourmet treatment. You're still trash to me and if I find out you try to escape, I will not hesitate to have you killed."

I gulped and nodded in fearful understanding.

"Glad we understand each other. Come on Zorua, let us depart. Combusken, you remain here and brief Damian here on the rules of my dungeon."

Combusken bowed himself and replied, "As you wish, your majesty."

Before everyone left the cell, Zorua looked me dead in the eye and grinned lightly. As though trying to build an early friendship between us. The door closed behind them and it was just the Combusken and me.

"Don't worry about the king… I won't let him hurt you," the Combusken stated bluntly.

I raised an eyebrow, "Umm…. What?"

Combusken sat on the prison bed and gestured me to sit beside him, in which I gladly obliged.

"You don't know me personally, and certainly not Prince Zorua. But… these were the prince's orders, not my own doing. He wanted me to tell you that everything will be fine as long as you follow this procedure I've written out for you."

I just sat there with probably the dumbest expression, ever. Wondering what the heck this guy was going on about.

"Look, if you want to get out of here as soon as possible you'll need to follow my orders precisely. Got it?"

"Y-You're gonna help me bust out?" I asked cautiously.

"Of course not! That would be the worst possible choice right now with guards on high alert. Now when I tell this are you going to do as I say?"

I nodded.

"Good," he sighed, "Now here's the plan. I'm going to bring it to the king's attention about your fighting ability, which I'll admit is outstanding. King Zoroark will become curious about this power and want to look into it more."

"So what are you saying exactly?" I pondered.

"Think about it for a minute… Right now you're worthless to the king. But having his son protest against an execution has almost never happened before. The prince really wants you alive and I do too. We really need a new person to travel with when going on dangerous quests."

"New person? Sorry, I am so lost right now. What the hell are you talking about?"

"Basically, the king needs a new bodyguard and I'm going to convince him to get you to fill that role. The king will probably put you through some tests, which eventually will lead to a possible freedom. Understand now?"

I shook my head, totally lost.

"Sorry, this is all just way too confusing for me. So, why me again?"

"Because the prince sees something more in you than just a thief."

My eyes widened at the statement, "He… does?"

"More than you think. I see it too, Damian. Zorua doesn't make a lot of friends outside the castle and I think if you two made a friendship he'd be quite happier. Truth is, the prince is quite depressed with life right now. He feels that it's too monotonous, and he needs someone or something to change that. Which brings me to another question. And you have to swear to me… If all goes well, do you promise to be Prince Zorua's friend? After all you do owe him your life."

I nodded my head, "I mean sure, yeah. Anything to get me out of this place."

Combusken grinned, "I'm glad you saw it our way. Now… I must get leaving as there is too much to do already."

Before he could leave I stopped him, "Wait!"

He whirled around to face me, "Thank you… For everything. I really do appreciate it."

He smiled again and replied, "Don't mention it. I can see what Prince Zorua sees in you, now. Maybe there's some hope for you after all. Anyways, have a good night. Prince Zorua is preparing "Thank you… For everything. I really do appreciate it."

I decided to shrug off the thought of being alone and converted to the thought of, "Holy crap... What just happened?"


	3. Chapter 3: The King's Proposition

Chapter 3: The King's Proposition

The wait was long and hard. But hell, this is what I deserve after all. But the time wasn't spent moping around, it was spent thinking…

Wondering.

Trying to piece together what Combusken told me. I honestly had no idea who he was, and had no relations with the prince Zorua. And every possibility flew through my brain of what they could want from me. I mean the king didn't seem like the kind of guy to be interrupted during an execution.

Of all of the confusion, I'll admit I was grateful. I was one minute away from having my head roll across the floor. But again… Why me?

All of my questions were interrupted as the cell door opened in which I took a moment to realize it was near dusk.

In the cave entered King Zoroark with the prince, Zorua and Combusken. What shocked me was that they were alone besides the guard opening and closing the cell door for them.

I sat upright and looked the king in the eyes as he spoke, "Damian… So from what I hear you're quite the fighter?"

I tensed up a little, "Yeah… I mean not to brag but I know a thing or two."

Normally I would've ended that sentence with a 'So what' but I wasn't looking to bad mouth the king at this point.

The king grinned at me, then Combusken, then me once more, "Well after quite the conversation with my son and his servant, Combusken, here. I've possibly decided against keeping you prisoner forever. You see, I might come as a hard hitting, power-hungry, menacing king but I guarantee you I have a heart. And I even go as far to see the possible good in people. And honestly, I feel like you haven't had a chance to change as you are only a child. So let's make a deal shall we?"

I smirked back at the king, "If it means I can get out of here I'll take it."

King Zoroark chuckled before replying, "Of course you won't be released without being in some debt to me. And I will be finding these tasks accordingly until I've found you paid off your debt to me for destroying my family heirloom. But… Enough chit-chat. Here's the plan; I'm going to have you rest here tonight and make sure you're well-fed for tomorrow morning. Because the test tomorrow determines if you are worthy to serve me or not."

I sat back and inquired, "What kind of test?"

The king shrugged, "A very basic test of your strength. I'll have you face off against three of my best guards. Your progress in the end will determine my answer. So be at your best. Because they will be fighting to kill."

'Great, so my only way out is to fight someone to the death who are way out of my league?'

"I take it we have a deal, correct?" the king stared me down with an almost menacing grin.

I sighed and took a moment before I cockily replied, "Better have a cleaning crew ready. Because I won't make it easy on any of them."

"Great! That's the confidence I like to hear! I'll leave you to it, then. Get some rest and I'll be back to summon you to my arena in the morning."

I nodded and the king exited the room, leaving only myself, Combusken, and the prince. My gaze went over to them. As the king was out of ear shot I spoke.

"What the hell are you two getting me into? You're basically getting me executed… Only this time it'll probably be way more humiliating," I snapped.

"Look, Damian. I saw how you fought all the guards two days ago. You took all of them down with one hit and it was amazing. And all of the Bisharp and Pawniard guards are trained their whole lives for serving my father. And you took them out with whatever experience you have."

"Most well-trained Pokemon can only take out one of the guards… You knocked out twelve with one hit for each. I don't even know if the three guardians stand a chance against you," Combusken added to the prince's stat

"Well trained? Those guys fought like they'd never fought a day in their life. I mean no offense to the guards or anything," I protested smugly.

Combusken sat beside me, "Look, maybe you don't see it as we do. But holy crap have you got some fight in you. If you can take out one Bisharp at your age that's saying something but twelve like they were nothing…"

"I don't see what the big deal is. What would you possibly see in me than in anyone else?"

"Well," the prince started, "Besides the fact I saw something about you that I liked. I don't make a lot of friends outside of the castle and it would be kinda nice to have someone to just relate to."

I chuckled lightheartedly, "Cut the crap. What's this really about?"

"Well, Prince Zorua is mostly on key with his statement but maybe there's a little something we're not telling you yet. Fine," Combusken tensed up, as did the prince, "You see, we're in a heated feud at the moment. With another kingdom attempting to steal King Zoroark's palace and villages. You may have noticed Pokemon pillaging towns or burning forests."

I shrugged, "Not really… But what you're basically saying is you need another person to die in this big war that isn't even mine to fight? I feel like that just makes it one or twenty more Pokemon that want me dead. Plus, I can't be that good in this fight. I'm just some thief, who can handle himself against some weak Bisharp. Maybe those guys you guarding against were just not that good of fighters."

Combusken looked at the prince, then me again.

"I didn't want it to resort to this… But if you're not gonna see it my way you'll see it another way. I'm going to try to attack you with something that's been passed down in my family for several generations. Unblockable, so you're only chance to avoid this is with the speed of a legendary or a perhaps a psychic type. I won't even attack on war-"

In a flash of instant movement he was on his feet and his claws just managed to swoop past my face as I reacted to the attack. The heat of his arm emanating to the right side of my face.

"-ning."

Combusken rested his arms to his side, "Wow… Unreal…"

"Was… that it?" I asked almost chuckling.

"Was that it!? Are you kidding me!? You dodged that with nearly no effort! That attack takes all the energy I have. I came at you at the speed of light… The speed of light… How is this not astonishing to you?" Combusken asked, completely boggled.

I bit my lip, "Speed of light? So that's pretty fast hunh? What's faster than the speed of light?"

The two before me just chuckled.

"You're gonna destroy the guardians tomorrow," the prince stated smugly.

Combusken nodded, "Don't be so sure, your majesty. Our friend here has to take on three of the kings greatest fighters in a row. They won't go easy on you, Damian. These so-called weak Bisharp might not be any challenge to you but after the first fight you'll be tired. My best advice for tomorrow is this. Don't go all out until the last fight, unless you really feel like you have to. Because you have to face off against Shema for your final battle and it won't be easy by any means."

My heart skipped a beat, "No way…"

"Hmm?" they both stared at me.

"No… Shema…? She's not a Mienshao by chance is she?" I muttered.

"Yes, I take it you somehow know her?" Combusken inquired.

I nodded slowly, "I thought she died… Everyone told me that she…"

That was when the tears started to roll in. A good something years ago, Shema took care of me and my big brother as her own. I remember I used to drive her crazy with all of my shenanigans. Whether it be stealing or pranking Pokemon around town. Then one day she just… never came back home.

Then an Arcanine who happened to be part of an investigation team came to us and told us what happened. Or at least what we were told that happened.

And that was when pieces were beginning to form the puzzle.

Either she abandoned me and my brother, or she actually might have been injured. But the part that almost answered my questions was this… She didn't come looking for us. If she really did want me and my brother, she would have looked for us. But she didn't…

Regardless, my brother and I were awestruck and had to live our own from then. At least until he was murdered, and then… I killed that guy for it. And I was alone. I had no one but myself and my hatred for everything and everyone.

One by one the tears fell, and I hate to admit it was the first I had cried like this since my brother died. Everything was slowly coming together now, but what brought her to the king I had no idea. I just knew I was hurt inside, knowing that tomorrow I was going to fight the one who taught me a lot of what I know.

And as I stand over her near unconscious body tomorrow, I'm going to ask her one question…

"Why?"


	4. Chapter 4: Old Friend or New Enemy?

Chapter 4: Old Friend or New Enemy?

I slept well the night before, much to my surprise anyways. The dungeon beds aren't exactly made of any kind of fabric. Just a large rectangular concrete slab hanging from the wall. As uncomfortable as it was, it felt good to sleep in. But my slumber was soon over as I decided to awaken just a tad early before my fight. If I was going to beat Shema, I'd need to be at my absolute best. And yawning and being sluggish was not acceptable.

I started my routine with some exercises to get my blood flowing Practicing my various kicks, punches and attack combinations. And the more I fought the air, the more I thought about her. And the more vicious my attacks became.

And before I knew it, after wildly flailing my whole body around in a flurry of attacks, the concrete wall before me crumbled and cracked underneath my paw. And with heaving breaths I took a second to relax, only to be interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Well… Aren't you the early riser?" Combusken stated from behind me.

I whirled around to face Combusken and Prince Zorua who were standing behind the titanium bars.

"When do I start?" I asked with anticipation.

"Right now, actually. So we'd better get going otherwise my father won't be too happy. He gets really impatient," the prince replied hastily.

I nodded and with no hesitation the cell doors opened, in which I was quick to exit my cell. And I had to admit it was the first time I felt somewhat free. Despite the fact there possibly hundreds of Bisharp on each side of the walls watching my every move.

It was kind of scary to be honest, being watched by so many other Pokemon. Kinda like that one time when I murdered-

I shook my head and wiped my eyes in case a tear fell.

"Don't cry… Crying is for the weak…" I said subconsciously out loud.

"What's wrong?" asked Combusken wearily.

I jolted upright, "Umm… Nothing. I'm fine."

His silence was enough a reply for me to understand he knew something was up. Him and the prince. I still had no idea what they wanted from me honestly. It was more than just being a bodyguard. And can I really be that strong?

Combusken came at me at the speed of light, and I just shrugged it off like it was nothing. Maybe I'm better than I give myself credit for? But how? I don't have years of relentless, elbow-scraping, bone-breaking training from some really insanely powerful Pokemon. I just have some skills I caught growing up.

But then again… Everyone I've ever fought has never been much of a challenge until I start using some attacks that wear me out. Which kind of resulted in most of the times I got captured.

Come to think of it…

I've never lost a fight. Even against some of the Pokemon that were 10 times my size and trained their whole lives for tournaments. It had me thinking of where this power even came from. I mean a hatchling like myself doesn't exactly just wake up and have this kind of power. So maybe it was passed down or something?

I mean sure, Shema taught me some stuff but… From what they tell me it's like I've got this unsurpassable power. Or maybe it's just something to get my hopes up?

All the questions were just causing more stress than I needed, and I couldn't have that during my fights. I took a deep breath and almost silently told myself to "Focus".

Before I knew it we had approached what appeared to be an auditorium of some sort. Large theatre like seating, surrounding the entire coliseum with two entrances for any challengers. There wasn't much of an audience, besides maybe the few Bisharp guarding the exits and the king who approached me directly.

"Welcome, Damian. I take you're ready for your first fight?" the king asked with a grin.

I spat on the round and replied, "Let's just get this over with… I want to fight Shema already."

The king laughed uncontrollably, "Please refrain from killing my guardians. Unless you'd be willing to take the place for all three of them."

I nodded and the king whirled around and swiftly took a seat in his throne in the stands.

I was shoved to the center of the arena, as was my first opponent. I did what I normally do before I fight. I closed my eyes and began to analyze him. He was a Medicham, just from appearance anyways. As I examined his aura, it showed he was a determined fighter. Perhaps even fearless.

He's a defensive fighter, so I'll have to be faster than him if I plan to win this one. He shouldn't be hitting me too often because from the looks of his aura he relies on counter attacks.

"Analyzing my fighting style. Smart move," the Medicham said with a grin.

I opened my eyes and stared him down, "Maybe I underestimated you guys after all."

"I may be a defensive fighter, but I can see your attacks before they happen. So I hope you have a strategy for our fight."

I got in his face, "Funny… You might think your three steps ahead of me. But I've already seen the outcome of this fight. I'm one hundred steps ahead of you. In fact, I'll wager I can knock you out in three or less hits."

His eyes went bright with amusement, in which he chuckled and replied, "I don't have any money but I'll hold you to it."

I nodded confidently and the match began. I got into my stance and closed my eyes. The aura vision seemed to always be my best bet in a fight. We began to walk around in an almost perfect circle. Just staring coldly at each other.

"Three moves…" I breathed.

I lifted my foot up, took one mighty step forward and charged him with my paw extended outward with all of the speed I had. He managed to move out of the way in just the knick of time.

"Well… I'll admit you're quite fast," Medicham laughed as he attempted to swing his arm at my face, which only failed as I managed to dodge it with ease. His following attacks needing only a simple sidestep and duck movement to avoid.

He grinned yet again, "Nice moves, kid. But playtime is over."

He lunged forward and tried to strike me with a force palm to my chest, I was quick to use my tail to slap his arm away from me, then press my own paw against his chest in an almost impossible feat of speed.

With all of my might I pressed the energy into his chest, sending him skidding backwards for quite the distance.

"Wow… A Riolu that knows force palm at such a young age. I guess it's time I stopped underestimating you."

"The king tells me this is a fight to the death… You're not even showing me your full potential. Three hits remember?" I chuckled haughtily.

He wasn't going to be much of a challenge honestly. He had speed, and amazing defense. But his reactions to my attacks were almost too poor. Which means I'm gonna have fun going ballistic on him.

I fired an aura sphere at the ground in front of him, then began my agility technique. Running in a rapid circle until finally my favorite technique was pulled off perfectly.

This technique was passed down from my brother. It was something he said is best to use if I'm looking to blind my opponent and take them down slowly but surely.

The memory actually felt pleasant to me in a sense. As I noticed my makeshift whirlwind were powerful enouh I began my flurry of attacks on him. Closing my eyes, I found a confused Medicham standing dumbfounded at everything going on.

I lunged out of my circle and kicked him across the face then continued running yet again. The trick was to keep the whirlwind in motion. And as long as it spun in motion, whoever was trapped inside was mine for the taking considering they have almost no control over their bodies anymore.

And as I continued my flurry of attacks, I was surprised to after so many strikes my opponent had not yet fallen. It was definitely the longest anyone had ever lasted in this attack, not to mention the fact that most Pokemon would be down in one hit.

"Behind you…" I gasped as I turned my head and was instantly brought to the ground by an outstanding punch.

The whirlwind subsided and I was quick to get back on my feet, only to stare down two Medicham's grinning right at me. One suddenly vanishing in a puff of smoke.

He was following behind me and my circle the entire time, and I didn't even know it.

"Thought this would be easy did you? I'm not a force to be reckoned with. I told you, I'm three steps ahead of you at all times. I used to be a war strategist and with this experience have not lost a war," Medicham scoffed.

"You're forgetting something though," I said grinning.

He looked concerned.

"If you would please take a look at the ceiling above you…"

I looked with him and admired the site. Every stalagmite on the roof was prepared to fall and perhaps kill everyone in the coliseum.

I pressed my left hindpaw into the ground firmly and built up the energy for a force palm into my leg.

"One second is all it takes for me to probably kill everyone in this room, including me. So tell me Medicham… What will you do to stop me?"

He looked flared up at this point. I wasn't bluffing when I spoke. The energy in my leg was enough to cause every stalagmite to fall on us. I just needed him to stay still long enough so I could pull of my finishing blow.

"You wouldn't dare! You wouldn't survive!"

"Ohh wouldn't I? Trust me, being a slave to the king is much worse a fate than death. I'm possibly better off dead anyways, so what is it Medicham? Will you save the lives of everyone in here?"

He growled and started to charge me.

'Bingo.'

With no remorse I directed the energy into the ground, but it wasn't to shake the roof. I managed to lift a large crater out of the ground, almost executing a sort of rock slide attack. Medicham was hit into air, and I was quick to jump from atop of my crater, charge my iron tail and smack him with all my might towards the ground. Before he managed to touch base, I landed flawlessly, and just before he could hit the ground I held my arm up, caught his near unconscious body, then unleashed my force palm into his chest.

With a grunt he was down for the count. And I couldn't help myself and look back at the audience who were all astonished.

"Six hits," I laughed, "I guess you win our wager."


	5. Chapter 5: Not My Type

Chapter 5: Not My Type

The king, almost petrified by everything that just happened spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, "Alright, the winner of this battle is Damian the Riolu. Damian you are free to rest for your next fight…"

"No," I called out to the king, "I'll fight the next guy right now."

Was I cocky? Yeah, a little bit. Not because I wanted to be, but because I wanted to see her again. I had questions that only she could answer, but as far as I was concerned she left me for dead and tried to cover her tracks. It's partly her fault my brother is dead, and I'm in this mess now. I could've come out to be someone good, but she gave that up.

The king was quick to reply, "Very well then… Dusknoir, enter the arena please."

I got into position already, and not even giving him a moment to greet himself I went for my target. But this proved unsuccessful as his body dematerialized after attempting my fire punch. If I knew anything about ghost type Pokemon it was two things. They don't have an aura that I can read, and I have a hard time actually hitting one because my specialty is hand to hand combat. But I have enough tricks up my sleeve to take him out.

I skid across the ground, whirled around and tried to my best to remember how to form a shadow ball, but instead of doing that I managed to start up a shadow claw instead.

Chuckling, I said to myself, "Guess I'll have to make this work for now."

The Dusknoir stared me down before replying, "A shadow claw hmm? Interesting a Riolu has even learned that attack. A Lucario learning it is even rare. But assure you it won't be enough to beat me."

"You guys talk way too much," I snarled before instantly appearing in front of him.

As I went to attack, my arm only managed to bounce back. He was obviously using some kind of light barrier to stop me from attacking.

I hit the ground with a thud and all he could do was grin at my pitiful efforts to strike. Unlucky for him I know how to take care of little light barriers like his.

I charged yet another shadow claw into my left paw, lunged forward, used my right paw to use my old brick break technique to put his barrier away then attempted to swipe my arm across his torso. Dusknoir gasped and took the attack without even trying to block it.

After landing on my hind paws I took a second to recover my strength. To be honest I was bit worn out from the last fight, and trying to make ghost type attacks was very difficult for me. It was like they were taking the life right out of me. Which now that I thought of it that made sense.

"You're quick kid… I see using my type against you was a mistake. I saw how quick you brought down Medicham, but I won't be that easy. I'm stronger than Medicham and Shema combined. So don't count on fighting Shema any time soon."

I bit my lip, "Let me tell you something…" with a sigh I stared at the ground, then Dusknoir once more, "Shema has some answers for me. And not you or anyone else is going to get in the way of that. I've gone through a lot over the years, beaten a lot of Pokemon senseless… You'll just be another one of those Pokemon."

Dusknoir just laughed evilly, "If you say so, kid."

I got into stance once again, awaiting his next move. To be honest, I was getting a bit tired from the fight. Not enough to the point I couldn't go on, but to the point where I felt like if I went all out again like I did on Medicham… I wouldn't last a second against Shema.

The thing about Shema was this, over a period of a couple of years she managed to teach me and my older brother about battling.

I was going to fight the Pokemon who showed me how to do most of the techniques I use now and although that might have proven a challenge I didn't care. As rationality slowly came back I could feel a sense of urgency take over in this fight.

And even a sense as to why I really want to fight her?

Dusknoir sent a ball of energy dashing towards me, but just as I managed step out of the way an unexpected lightning bolt just barely missed me with very close timing.

I shook my head relieving myself of any thoughts that weren't about this fight.

"Just keep your head up… Come on, Damian. Think of what Travis would say if he were here…" I muttered to myself.

"Sorry? But were you just cursing me out under your breath?" Dusknoir laughed haughtily.

More and more I allowed my deceased brother's voice take over my mind. Until I could hear it almost in real life… The words appeared in my head clearly.

'Take him down, little bro. You didn't come this far for nuthin'.

And the thought was just enough to get my head back into the fight, only this time with a fire in my heart. This was an old technique I would use if I was ever upset, so maybe using it for combat would be twice as effective.

Hopefully.

"I won't let you down, Travis… I promise…" a said, a tear dropping from my right eye.

"Come on, now. Don't tell me, I hurt ya that bad!" Dusknoir taunted.

I about stared into his ghostly soul as I slowly took one step after another towards him. Allowing my body to fill up with a sort of energy that would have normally been impossible for a Pokemon of my type. I charged the energy of the shadow claw and transferred it to my entire body. Almost cloaking my entire body out of ghostly plasma.

Which only meant one thing… I can beat the hell out of this guy with my paws all I wanted.

Dusknoir's haughty grin became a worried scowl.

As the energy was built to its full potential, I charged him. But before attacking I leapt up into the air and whispered in his ear, "Travis…"

"Hmm-" Before he could respond I kicked him across the face, my ghostly body working more than successfully as he grunted from the pain.

"What the hell?" he winced after recovering.

I couldn't help but taunt from my efforts, "You were right… You shouldn't use your type against me. Because I just might use it against you."

Dusknoir gasped as I approached right in front of him, pressed my paw into his chest which appeared now solid for me, and I released a makeshift force palm out of the ghost energy. Knocking him out in one effortless attack.

With heaving breaths, I let go of the energy and with a gasp of air I fell to the ground. Nearly collapsing from exhaustion. I managed to hold myself upright with my left paw but it almost wasn't enough.

I was stupid to go all out on both fights, and now I had to fight Shema. Which would prove to be a challenge… Unless she didn't want to fight me.

All I had left to do at that moment was hope.


	6. Chapter 6: Lies of The VIllage

Chapter 6: Lies Of The Village

I was tired. No… Tired was an understatement of epic proportions. I was exhausted, almost ready to pass out. But I couldn't drop yet. I had come this far to fight Shema, I wasn't going to stop now.

"Damian? Would you like a break from battle?" the king's voice echoed throughout the stadium.

I grunted and took a moment to regain my strength. I sucked air through my teeth and stood up from my near unconscious state and shook my head before replying, "No."

There was an ominous silence throughout the arena before King Zoroark called out, "Bring in, Shema!"

And as she entered the arena, her eyes instantly widened. And thus began our staring contest.

"Shema… Don't act like you don't know me…" I gasped.

Her face could only be described as one word… shocked.

"Damian? You're… Alive?" she muttered.

With gasps of air, I was just barely able to reply, "Why… Wouldn't I be?"

She stared me down, a tear running down her cheek.

"No… I… I saw you die… I held you and your brother in my arms."

"What is taking so long? Why aren't you fighting yet?!" the king exclaimed.

Disregarding his words, I replied to her statement, "I was never even dying Shema… What the hell are you talking about?"

"This isn't real… I… You're just someone here to haunt me of my past. That must be it…" she protested bluntly before bursting into tears.

Feeling a bit of sympathy take over I approached her directly.

"Shema…? It's really me. What's going on? You think I was dying?" I asked, getting a little worried about my old parent figure.

"Just stop it now… You're not real… They died because I wasn't strong enough… Damian and Travis… I'm so sorry…" Shema wept.

With a feint growl, grabbed her by the shoulders and forced my eyes to meet hers.

"Shema! It's me! I am Damian! I never died, they told me you died and I thought it was true but now here we are. I'm not a ghost or anything like that, stop being ridiculous!" I snapped.

We just stood there, staring into each other's eyes before she could finally mutter my name, "Damian?"

I smiled at her, "It's really me, Shema. I'm alive. And now that I'm taking a moment to even think about it I think we were set up. They told me and Travis that you were dead and that we weren't allowed to stay at the village anymore."

"I demand to know what is happening right now!" the king exclaimed across the arena.

She frowned at me, "Damian… Oh my Arceus… I can't believe it… Do you really think they'd set something up like that?"

Shema took a second to gain control of herself before replying to the royal pain in my tail, "I forfeit my fight with Damian. By default that makes him the winner."

The kings face lit up, "What!? You can't be serious, Shema! He's right where you want him!"

Shema stood upright and brushed herself off, "I refuse to fight my own son, your highness."

It was that moment that everyone froze in total shock. A very awkward silence managed to envelope everyone in the entire room.

Even I was surprised when she said son.

"This boy… Is your son?" the king asked from across the arena.

Shema looked back at me and gestured to follow her. And as I stumbled behind her we finally managed to meet face to face with the king.

"Technically speaking, yes King Zoroark. You see, many years ago I took care of Damian and his older brother, Travis. But from my understanding now, we were all tricked into believing a story possibly formed by the village we were living in. But the fact of the matter is, I wish to take care of Damian and Travis. I think under my care they will learn from any mistakes they may have made…"

"Travis? There was only one involved in the crime and it was that boy right there," the king replied.

Shema looked back at me, and I felt a familiar sorrow take over, "I didn't die… But Travis died protecting me from some Pokemon trying to attack us. This happened like… Two years after everything happened."

She covered her mouth and another tear trickled down her cheek. She wiped her eyes and turned to face the king, "Your majesty, please see it in your eyes to forgive Damian of any crime he may have committed. Something tells me he was attempting to steal but I promise you that under my care he won't be committing these types of acts."

Before I knew it, Zorua and Combusken were behind me and I simply stared the King in his eyes. Only hoping to Arceus this would be my ticket out of here.

"You realize that by having an extra member of your home, that may reduce you to an almost negative income correct?"

Shema nodded, "I do not care, King Zoroark. I'll have Damian start a job here in town and he can begin making income for himself. I already have this figured out, all I need is your permission. I realize that whatever trouble he may have caused you but he won't be repeating his actions under my wing."

King Zoroark sighed, "Shema, who's to say this boy won't run away from your care and go on a spree of crime?"

She chuckled lightheartedly, "Because despite his negative actions, he has a huge heart. I see only good in him. And I never thought I said it enough but… I love him like my own child."

The king's expression lightened, as did mine. She really saw me as her own child? Even after everything I did? Stealing things from her and villagers then selling them. Having other Pokemon nearly hate her because of my actions. I always suspected she wanted to get rid of me…

I wanted to cry, I really did. But crying was for the weak. And I had to show these Pokemon I'm strong.

"I need to hear it from Damian before I make my decision," the king's voice nearly caused me to jump out of my skin.

I looked up to face him, in which he continued speaking, "Damian? If I allow to stay with Shema, outside of my castle. Can you promise me that you will not attempt to run away from her by any means?"

I smiled and replied, "I won't leave her side for any reason. You have my word your Majesty."

I think I even sold the whole thing by bowing before him.

"Rise…" I did as he commanded, "Very well, you have my word. I hereby discharge you from any imprisonment within the vicinity of my kingdom. However, this does not expunge you of your crime. You are still in debt to me, therefore I expect some sort of repayment is in place. So, I will be arranging some tasks at hand for you. But in the meantime… You are free to go. Enjoy your stay with Shema. But remember this, if you try anything, I will be sure to have every Pokemon on this planet aware of who you are with a hefty price on your head? Understand?"

I gulped and nodded slowly, "Y-Yes your majesty."

He smiled down upon me, "Good. I'm glad we both saw it my way. Now go, I have some work to do."

My face lit up with a huge grin, in which I responded to this feeling of happiness by lunging at Shema and hugging her tight.

She pulled me closer and whispered, "I missed you, son."

With tears rolling down my face now, I muttered, "I-I missed you too ma."

I spent that moment in her arms, knowing everything was going to be better from that moment on. I wasn't going to let my old habits bring me down now.


	7. Chapter 7: Catching Up

Chapter 7: Catching Up

Shema carried me over her shoulder, as the fatigue from battle was too much for me to walk. On the way to her home, we decided to do some catching up.

"So… What happened exactly? You said you saw me die?" I asked.

I could feel Shema nod below my shoulder, "Yes. You and… Your brother. I came home after being attacked by someone only to find that you were both on the floor. But I now realize that this whole thing was set up from the start."

"Wait, slow down. You were attacked by someone?"

She sighed, "I was walking back home until this group of Pokemon came up to me and said they were going after you and Travis. I had no choice but to fight them. After that, before I even managed to make it back home, I saw that you and your brother were dead. It was the worst thing I had ever saw. I held both of you in my arms, only praying to Arceus you would survive. But like I said… It wasn't you."

"But… No one came to attack us until 2 years later. And that was only because… I…" I bit my lip.

She wrapped her arm around me tighter, "Damian? You don't have to be afraid anymore. I want to know what happened to your brother."

There it was, that sorrow I always felt when I thought about him. I didn't want to tell her or anyone yet. But maybe it was the time I finally said something. I could never even be honest with myself about the whole thing.

"I… Travis, he…"

"Deep breaths, dear," Ma stated calmly.

I inhaled once, held it in for a second, then released the air before replying, "He died because… I was… Stealing again."

It was that moment I felt my heart skip a beat. But there it was, and I had to admit it was a little relieving to admit my mistake.

"I… I… I promised him I would never steal again after they attacked him…. I… I killed the guy who killed him Ma. I stole from this guy and he knew me and he said he was going to take something I love from me… And then… I'm… a murderer. I killed my brother… I killed that innocent guy…" I said before bursting into tears over her shoulder.

"I killed him ma… It's my fault Travis is gone… It's my fault those guys attacked you… It's my fault… For everything…" I sobbed.

She repositioned me in front of her face and hugged me tightly, in which I responded by crying into her shoulder once again, "It's all my fault… No one elses…"

She rubbed a hand through the top of my head and rocked me back and forth like she always used too.

"Damian… Travis did not die because of you. You mustn't blame yourself for these things. That Pokemon had the choice to attack or not. And I don't blame you for anything that happened. I love you, and all that matters is that you're here now with me."

"But… The village never would have done anything if I didn't steal from them all the time…"

"The village had no right taking matters into their own hands, and neither did that Pokemon who attacked you and Travis. These kind of acts are illegal, even moreso than petty or even grand theft. But… I'm glad you're taking some initiative as to where you might stand wrong on his whole situation. It seems like life has been rough for you lately. But I promise you I will make it better for you. You haven't lost it all yet."

I didn't even reply. I didn't have anything to say. I just took the words in as I wailed into her shoulder.

"That's it… Let all the bad thoughts out…"

I continued my sobbing for almost five minutes before finally getting bac to my senses and wiping my nose with my forearm. Ma placed me on the ground and smiled at me.

"Better?" she chuckled.

With a sniffle I replied, "Yeah… A lot actually."

Shema got down to one knee, gesturing to get on her shoulder again, but I was quick to decline.

"No thanks, I think I can walk now."

Shema stood up and shrugged, "Suit yourself. But don't cry to mom when you're legs get tired."

We shared a good laugh before continuing our walk to her home. Before I knew it we were outside the castle walls and had made it outside to quite the familiar village.

"Ohh yes… There's something I should mention," Shema paused.

"Hmm?" I asked from beside her.

"You're going to be a big brother," Shema stated bluntly.

My eyes widened, "Wait… You mean you're… Like…?"

Shema just laughed, "No, not quite. She's 4 years old. Precocious little one she can be. She'll be excited to meet you… I've only mentioned you once but I kind of told her you had to move on with your brother. And I expect you to be her role model, so that means no stealing… Got it?"

I nodded, "Trust me, ma. I'm done with all of it. Being in that dungeon and everything leading up to today has taught me a thing or two. And now that you're here, I don't have a reason to steal."

"Good, because once you get a job you'll be earning money."

My ears perked up, "Ohh yeah… So what's this whole thing about a job anyways?"

"Well you certainly aren't going to be freeloading from me anytime soon. I love you, Damian but not that much."

We managed to share yet another much needed laugh.

I had to admit, it felt good to finally talk to someone again. Ever since Travis died I had no friends or anyone to talk to. For that matter. It was a lonely life, living off scraps and stealing everything I could just to make a profit.

My thoughts were abruptly interrupted as we walked through town and I managed to get quite a few icy stares from other Pokemon. It almost made me feel… intimidated by them. Some looking from behind their shops, and the customers joining in. I hated the fact of it, but from the looks of things everyone knew about me and my little crime.

I crept towards Shema a little more, in which she responded, "Don't let them get to you. The king will clear everything up with them and you can start over."

"Y-You're sure about that?" I winced.

She nodded, "I'm sure of it. And no one is going to lay their hands on you while I'm here. Which reminds me…"

I looked up to meet her gaze, "Hmm?"

"No fighting… I know how great of a fighter you are, and I know how much you love to fight. But there are street fights outside of town and if I find out you went to one you'll be in deep trouble. You want to fight, fight at a tournament or something. Maybe even consider getting a job as a rescue team member or if you're looking for some real fun, work for the king. I'm sure he'll have plenty of jobs for you."

"Speaking of the king… What's all this about a war?" I inquired.

Shema, sighed at the sudden question, "This war should be none of your concern. Because when it does happen, I'm leaving. And I'll take you, Osha, and Prince Zorua with me. As the king has ordered."

I shook my head, "Wait… But you're an awesome fighter. Heck I'm sure just you're and me could take these people on."

"It's not about that, Damian. I refuse to put my own children in danger. I know you can hold your own, but Osha… If I lost her or you at this point I don't know what I would do. Anyway, can we change the subject? I hate thinking about this whole war thing."

"Okay," I replied simply, "So what's the deal with my job tomorrow?"

"Unfortunately, I won't be around to give you a recommendation so I'll have you just rest tonight and see what the king has in plan for you. In the meantime, I wouldn't mind you taking Osha to school tomorrow. There are Pokemon that like to take advantage of her and take her money. Don't fight them, like I said. The last thing we need is people thinking you're back to your old ways again. However… these punks have been getting on my last nerve and the king won't let me do anything about it… So I was hoping instead of them seeing you…"

"So basically you want me to go to school with… Osha… And beat these guys senseless without them even seeing me."

"Yes… But I'm only asking you this because I can't do it. But like I said, don't let them see you."

I laughed haughtily, "Yeah… No. They won't see a thing…"

And just as I managed to finish that statement, Shema uttered the words, "Here we are. Home sweet home."

At that moment, my grin could not have been wider. I walked in only to be hugged by an unfamiliar face.


	8. Chapter 8: Home Sweet Home

Chapter 8: Home Sweet Home

The young Oshawatt hugged me tightly, then ran over to Shema and hugged her. She then resumed to jump up and down excitedly before yelling, "Hi mama! Hi person I don't know!"

I laughed at her impossible amount of energy, and watched as Shema lifted up her daughter and pulled her close while both laughed. Shema looked Osha in the eyes and stated, "Did you finish all your homework?"

"Yeah, mama! Even the hard stuff… Umm…" she whispered just audibly enough for me to hear, "Who is that boy, mommy?"

Ma grinned and put my sister on the ground, before looking at me and replying, "Osha… This is your big brother. Damian."

It was that moment that I had never seen anyone's light up brighter before. Osha's big black eyes sparkled as she stared at me. It was kind of… Heartwarming.

She laughed and lunged forward and gave me a mighty hug, in which I only responded by hugging her back.

"Where have you been big brother? I was looking for you the other day… Mama tells me all about you and my other big brother Travis. Wait…"

She let go of me and looked around the room, "But big brother Travis isn't here… Did he get lost mama?"

I bit my lip, and before I could reply Shema did it for me, "He's still far away, Osha. He couldn't join us sadly. But he's happy where he's at now."

I sighed at her response, already knowing what was going on. She didn't want Osha to know anything because she was too young to understand.

I disregarded the thought however as my attention bartered over to a very familiar portrait… It nearly brought a tear to my eye. The amazing memory it shared for us. The picture showed a Riolu, a Mienshao, and a Lucario. I was making a silly face at Travis and he was making one back, while Shema stood there just smiling down at us.

I pressed my paw against the glass frame and smiled at its touch.

She never forgot about us, she even kept the picture we had taken at the fair. I could suddenly feel Shema's paw rest on my shoulder. Not even turning back to look at her, she spoke, "I never forgot about you or your brother, Damian. You've both always been a huge piece of my heart."

With a deep breath, I looked at Ma and asked, "So… Where am I gonna be sleeping?"

Ma batted an eye, "It's only four PM, dear. I don't think you want to sleep so early."

I shrugged, "Well… I did just fight-"

Ma instantly covered my mouth and shifted her eyes to look over at Osha who was standing nearby.

"Can I show big brother his room, mama!?" Osha jumped up and down with pure childish anticipation.

"Osha, do you even know what room he's going to be staying in?" Ma replied sheepishly.

"Yeah! He can have the company room!" It seemed that everything that came out of Osha's mouth was an overly excited yell. This little girl was more hyper than me, and I thought that was impossible.

"But where will the guests sleep?" Ma replied to my little sister.

"On the floor or something! He's my big brother so he needs the big room!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her endless excitement.

"I actually had something better in mind… Why not share a room with your big brother?"

Osha's face lit up like a candle yet again, "Oh my goodness! Yes! Mama, you can sleep in my room! Come on, I even have two beds! Come on, Damian!"

"Alright, sis… I'm coming…" I laughed as she tugged at my arm relentlessly, pulling me towards a nearby door.

The door swung open and I was quite surprised by the size of it. Mienshao was definitely doing way better than she was before. Her old place was nowhere near as huge. I remembered when Travis and I had to share a bed. He'd sleep one way and I'd sleep the other way so it wasn't weird. Or he'd offer to sleep on the floor and I was stubborn enough to oblige to his decision.

"Osha, what have I told you about jumping on the bed?" Ma asked sternly.

Osha's look of excitement instantly faded as she stopped hopping up and down, "Sorry, mama. I'm just so hyper cus I can finally see big brother, Damian and not just in the pictures!"

Ma shook her head, "Anyways Damian. I hope you don't mind sharing a room, it's just the guest room is always a total mess. And well…" she leaned in closer to me, "I need someone to keep an eye on her when I can't."

I smiled, "No, it's perfect. I don't mind having a room with Osha. It's actually cool this way. I mean, think of all the scary stories I can tell you."

Osha perked right up, "Nuh-Unh! I don't get scared of no stories anymore so it won't even work!"

I turned to face ma, yet again, "Well… If you want to take a nap I suppose I'll leave you to it. You must be exhausted after that long "walk". So that bed that Osha just messed up for you is yours. But if you're lucky enough to wake up in time I'll have your favorite made."

"No damn way-"

"Language… Damian," ma scolded me harshly.

I covered my mouth with my paws and looked over Osha who was now covering her ears like she didn't hear a thing.

"Sorry, ma. Umm… But yeah thank you. I'm just gonna go take my nap, now," I replied sheepishly.

Ma smiled, got to one knee, and wrapped her arms around me, before saying, "You have a good rest, son. Want me to wake you up when I'm finished with dinner?"

I rested my head on ma's shoulder, in which I could only feel Osha nudging herself into the hug as well, "Yeah… That'd be great."

Ma released me from the hug and we both looked over at Osha, "Mama, can I help make the soup this time? I think I did pretty good last time."

"Alright, but what's the first step before making food?" Ma, asked my little sister with a chuckle.

"Wash your hands!" Osha replied enthusiastically.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get our hands clean for dinner!"

"Yay!" and with that Osha was out of the room.

I went to lay on the bed under the soft comforters only for ma to sit on the side of the bed to say some a few more things.

"I'm glad to have you back, sweet heart. I really am."

I yawned, "I'm glad to be back."

She kissed me on the forehead, adjusted the blanket over my body and walked over to the door before finally shutting off the light and saying, "Love you, Damian."

"Love you too, mom." And with that moment shared, she closed the door and with little effort I managed to fall asleep with a smile on my face.

AUTHOR NOTES:

 **Hey guys, Riolu17 here! Sorry about the long hiatus with Deceitful it's just I'm so hooked on this one right now. And I have to say, HOLY CRAP TWO UPDATES IN ONE DAY, WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!? Maybe it's a good thing who knows. I'll admit this actually all started as a random idea when I was at work. This was not the actual direction I was going with in y head but I like it better this way. Prince Zorua was supposed to help bust Damian out of the dungeon but instead I went along with this new plan because i felt it added more drama to the book.**

 **But yeah, guys. I'm back and I can't promise updates for Deceitful II an I know Lucario's Gift is probably my highest demanded fic right now but I'm trying to think of where I can go with the next chapter. I just hope you guys aren't thinking of this as a way to procrastinate my other stories. I'm hooked on this more than I was Deceitful starting out. But I'll get back to Deceitful sooner or later. Anways, I hope you all are enjoying this so far so be sure to leave a review and follow for constant updates on this story and follow me for any new chapters. :3**

 **Sincerely,**

 **The Slacker, Damian**


	9. Chapter 9: Lost Time

Chapter 9: Making Up Lost Time

With an almost pretentious yawn, I awakened from my nap. Only I was a bit surprised to see my new little sister resting her head on my shoulder. With an almost silent laugh, I gently pushed my paw underneath her head and rested her head on my pillow.

I followed this maneuver by silently making my way for the bedroom door, and with a loud and almost unlucky creak I managed to get the door opened. But much to my dismay it looked way later than usual. Which had me worrying if I didn't get up when ma wanted me to.

My thoughts were soon disrupted as I heard ma say, "You're up."

I whirled around and yawned, "Yup. What time is it, ma?"

"3 AM, I can heat your dinner up for you really fast," she replied.

With yet another yawn I said, "Ohh wow… I really must've passed out."

Shema laughed, "I wouldn't blame you. I'm sure it's been awhile since you've slept on a bed, right?"

"Yeah… You can say that," I moaned wearily.

Ma looked at me, then nodded her head towards the kitchen as though gesturing me to follow her, in which I only obliged.

She pulled a stool out for me, and I climbed atop it to sit down. I rested my head on the table with my arms folded.

"Elbows off the table, please and thank you," ma scolded lightheartedly as she was putting my bowl of soup above a flame.

I grunted and sat up in my chair, "So… Why are you up so late? Don't you have work?"

"Try early… I always send Osha to bed around six-thirty, then it's off to bed for me. As a working mother I don't have a lot of time to clean up around the house so… When my 6 or so hours of sleep is done I simply clean up and continue with the rest of the day."

I went silent before replying, "Sounds like you're a busy body. I mean why don't you have your mate take care of Osha?"

My mother hesitated her reply with a sigh, "I… I don't want him near my children. Not Osha, not you. Unfortunately he has custody on the weekends and it's the only time I'm not working-"

"What did he do, ma?" I cut her off.

She gave me an intrusive look, "It's none of your concern, Damian."

I dropped from my chair and looked into her eyes with a fire in my heart, "Ma… What did he do to you? Clearly whatever he's done he hasn't been punished for yet."

Ma protested instantly, "Damian! It is not your responsibility to punish anyone! Now, drop it."

There was an awkward silence in the room before I replied, "Ma… I'm sorry. But whatever he did must have been pretty bad for you to hate him like you do right now. Maybe you're forgetting but I can read you aura, and there's nothing you can't tell me so just tell me."

She whirled around and put her back to me, "I'm not telling you, Damian. And I'm not telling you because I know what you will do if you find out so drop it," she turned to face me again, "The last thing I need is everyone thinking you're a criminal again."

I approached her directly, "And why would they think I'm a criminal?"

Ma slammed her paw on the table, "Stop it, now! I mean it! You have no right to know this, you always look for someone to fight and right now it's me you're fighting with! Now, stop this at once."

Before going back to take my seat I sighed, "I… I'm sorry ma. You're right, I shouldn't get into your business. But look… Whatever he did was bad. I… I want you to know if I see anything happen. If he tries to hurt you or Osha, I'll…"

"You won't do anything, because the second he tries anything I will fight back. And you'll sit back and enjoy the show as I kick my ex-husbands teeth in," she replied with a grin.

I just laughed uncontrollably at her statement.

"So… I was curious… Travis, I'm sure it must've been pretty hard for you?" ma asked.

I stopped laughing as I felt my heart strings being pulled at.

"Well… It wasn't all good you know that already."

"Damian… Sometimes it's best to just let go of these things. I… I know I had too when I thought I lost you and your brother. I can tell just by looking at you that even the mention of Travis makes you uncomfortable. So maybe I can help with that?"

I shook my head, "What's it gonna fix, ma? He's gone and it's my fault… I mean I told you that part already."

Ma got to one knee and rested a paw on my shoulder before smiling, "You know I'm here for you, Damian."

I turned my head slightly before replying, "Ma… I just," I sighed, "Okay ya know what… I mean I trust you and I… Look…"

No matter all of my idiotic stuttering, ma just smiled at me. Assuring me I had nothing to worry about.

I licked my upper lip, "I see him, ma. And I don't know if it's because I've gone crazy but I see him like he's really there or I'll hear him. I dream about him, he's all I ever think about sometimes. I… In the fight with those other guardians, I almost gave up but I heard him cheering me on. Like he was there… Even when I hear his name it's like I see him mom I just… I feel like every day I'm going more and more insane."

"You could be suffering from PTSD, I mean it wouldn't surprise for someone at your age, sweetheart. I can arrange to have the village pediatrician check you for anything. Although, the place is usually packed with other Pokemon so it's hard to get into. But I do empathize for you and Travis. He was a good boy, keeping you out of trouble and helping around the house when he didn't work."

I bit my lip hard enough to blister it, "It should have been me, ma. I…"

"Let me stop you there. None of this was your fault, in fact there was nothing you could have done. Sure, you stole from the Pokemon but he had no right to take Travis' life-"

"Ma, I killed him! I killed another Pokemon and no one even knew about it… And I… That guy didn't deserve to die. He was just standing up for himself but he attacked Travis and I just… I went off on him after it happened. I got so tired of all the shit happening at once and that was just it. Sometimes I just see it all playing in my head like a movie scene on loop. I feel like I should have been the one to die when that all happen, and sometimes I considered it…"

Ma tensed up, "Considered what?"

I looked down at the floor before replying shamefully, "I just want… I just wanted to end it sometimes. The pain was too much and some days I felt like I had no purpose here. All I was to anyone was a thief and after I lost you and Travis I had no one to go to for help. And then I started getting bounty hunters and police after me and I had nothing. And in my heart I knew it was wrong, but it felt like my only purpose because no one ever saw that I could change no matter what I did."

Ma rested her paw on my cheek and my eyes met hers, "Damian. I don't blame you for anything you've done. From this day forward, it's all in the past. You can't change the past, you can only plan the future and make the best of what you can for the present. You shouldn't punish yourself for these things, you deserve way better than you believe. I always saw great potential in you and I still do. I mean look how far you've come. I'd say this is the longest you've gone without stealing, right?"

I chuckled heartily, "It's only been like a day, ma. I wouldn't screw up my only chance here."

"Well, it's a start isn't it? I'm just thankful to Arceus you were brought you back into my arms. I know Travis isn't here but I know for certain he'd be happy for you. I feel like fate has brought us together somehow."

I smiled at the thought before ma pulled me in for a hug. I rested my chin on her shoulder, just taking it all in. And our embrace was quickly interrupted as ma, gasped and whirled around to attend to my meal.

She grabbed the bowl from the flame and placed it on the table and gestured me to take a seat.

I obliged and took the first sip of warm broth, feeling more than delighted by its taste and texture. I had to admit, it felt great to be back where I belong.


	10. Chapter 10: Of Thieves

Chapter 10: Of Thieves

It was early in the morning, and I decided to stay up with ma and help her around the house for the past couple of hours before ma had to wake up Osha. And thus the morning routine began.

"Good morning, Osha," I said to her as she yawned wearily while stepping outside the bedroom.

She rubbed her eyes and tiredly replied, "Good morning, big brother."

She departed from the bedroom and made way for the kitchen, Ma shuffling behind her. I made my way to the kitchen after watching them patiently and took my seat across from Osha.

I helped Ma all night cleaning the house and getting breakfast ready for Osha, seeing as how I felt it would be only fair to do my part. After all, I'm basically the man of the house.

After eating her breakfast, Osha spoke, "So... Damian is coming to school with me, mama?"

Ma whirled around and replied, "He'll be taking you to school from now on. Which reminds me, Damian can I talk to you in private for a moment?"

"Uhh... Yeah..." I stated before hopping down from the dining chair.

Ma escorted me to the living room, out of ears range for Osha, and before I knew it she handed me what looked like a large black, blanket. I stared at it as rested in my paws.

"I know I said not to fight, but... I want you to do something about those guys for me. Don't hurt them too bad, just send them a message. Wear this when you do it, I don't want everyone knowing it was you."

"...?"

I was bit dumbfounded by the whole thing. It didn't seem like Shema to want me to attack someone for something like this. I simply handed, what I assumed was a cloak, back to her.

"I won't even need this. I'll try to take them without violence and if I have to fight I will."

Ma simply grinned, "Yeah... You're probably right. But... Osha doesn't know about you yet. I think it would be best if she didn't know for now."

I nodded slowly, "You have a point... But ma, I'm gonna do my best to not make a name for myself like I used to."

Ma sighed before replying, "Okay, I won't make you fight them. But be careful..."

I smiled, "Don't worry, ma. I've got this covered."

She kissed me on the forehead and rested her paw on my shoulder, "Once you drop her off, go into town and find someone named Jeb. He'll be in the law enforcement office, ask for him and tell him I sent you. He's a good friend of mine, and I know he'll give you a job if you pass the pretest. I don't know what King Zoroark has in mind for you, yet but I frankly don't care. But if the King needs you, don't expect any payment out of it. After all... You destroyed their family heirloom."

I pursed my lips, "What's the deal with that ball anyways?"

"The deal is that it's been passed down for generations, it's something of a good luck charm. Superstitious stuff that even I don't understand."

"Mama, is it time to go yet?" Osha called out in the other room.

Ma stood upright and replied, "Yes, Osha. Come on out."

My little sister rushed around the corner and stood by my side, grinning at me from ear to ear.

"Osha knows the way to school right?" I asked.

"Yep! I walk there every day by myself. But not today, though," Osha said excitedly.

Ma and I chuckled lightly at her enthusiasm, and with a hug and a kiss from our mother we departed.

I couldn't help but enjoy the scenery as we walked, as it seemed to be a perfect path through the trees. And I was surprised to see fellow Pokemon greet Osha and I along the way, wishing us a good morning.

After what appeared to be almost five minutes of complete silence, Osha blurted out, "Big brother, where have been all this time? I've been worried about you. Mama says you've been gone."

I laughed, "I had some things I had to take care of in life."

"Things like what?"

I took a moment to think about my reply, "Well... I... I had school and... a job and the school I wanted to go to was far away from Ma. I didn't want to leave but I had to. But now I'm back."

"But what about Travis? Mama said he was with you...?"

I bit my lip and sighed, "Osha... Travis... He's in a better place for now."

"Wait but... Travis isn't dead is he?"

I could feel my heart almost being tugged at, "N-no... He just couldn't make it because he... He has his own things in life he needs to take care of."

"Ohh... Okay then, well he better come visit me soon. I haven't seen him yet."

I just sighed.

A bit further down the path, we were stopped by none other than a Sneasel, a Monferno, and a Kekleon. The Sneasel was first to speak while the others blocked us from further movement. I stared them all down.

"Hey there, if it isn't our best friend Osha... You remember the toll right?" the Sneasel stated as he held his hand out.

Osha started to reach into her bag before I rested my paw over hers, stopping her attempts to grab the money.

"Damian, I'm trying to get the money to go through to school okay?"

Staring coldly into the Sneasel's eyes I replied, "No... There is no toll. Isn't that right guys?"

They all tensed up, "And who made that rule? Because it wasn't us," the Kekleon snarled.

"Osha, stand back..."

"But big brother, they're nice pe-"

"You're gonna stop hustling money from my little sister, ya hear?"

All three of them looked prepared to fight, "Who the hell do you think you are, dude? If we don't get that money now, we'll take it," the Sneasel spat.

"No, here's what's going to happen. Your friend Kekleon is going to try to use his cloaking ability an d rush me, in a failed attempt I'll bring him down with one attack. Once that happens, you'll both attempt to charge me only to fail as well. I don't look like much but I'm more than you think I am, so unless you want to leave here with no bones broken I suggest you turn the other way and never bother my little sister again."

"Some pretty big words for such a little crap," growled the Monferno.

Judging from their voices they very well could have been a year older than me, but that was no issue.

After staring at each other for almost a minute I added, "Go ahead... Make the first move, I never strike first. I mean seeing as how there's one of me and three of you, it should be easy right?"

'Shut up!" the Monferno yelled before charging me head on. He went to swing a fire punch at me, in which I easily swayed to the side, swept my leg under his and knocked him off his feet.

His friends appeared shocked as he grunted in annoyance, Once back on his feet, Monferno went to perform a flurry of punches, all of which were no challenge to avoid. After simply letting this guy wear himself out, I pressed my paw into his chest with a force palm ready. The out of breath Monfreno stared into my eyes with shock.

"Last chance, turn around and pretend this never happened..." I stated coldly.

Before I could utter another word I could feel the presence of another attacker behind me, I whirled around and caught the Sneasel's arm with my paw, before slamming the force palm attack into his chest and knocking him back several feet. I then turned to face an invisible Kekleon and punched him in the gut, forcing him to leave his cloak, and with one last move I ducked down to avoid a punch from Monferno, did a full 180 degree turn and kicked him in the ribs. Staring down at him as he kneels over in pain.

Apparently these guys didn't learn their lesson yet seeing as how they were still prepared to fight.

"I know you all have a fire in your eyes right now, but you won't win this fight. If I haven't made that clear already then maybe you're all too dumb to see it. Don't make me hurt you more than I have to."

The three of them huffed and puffed before the Sneasel finally muttered, "Come on, guys... Let's go..."

And with a leer, they ran off into the trees but one problem remained at that moment... The look on Osha's face.


	11. Chapter 11: The Invitation

Chapter 11: The Invitation

"Damian… Why'd you beat those boys up?" Osha asked, staring into my soul.

I scratched the back of my collar nervously, "Umm… Osha… Look, those were bad people okay? They've been trying to steal your money and I had to stop them."

"They're not bad people, big brother, they're all homeless. They don't have moms and dads so I like to help them. It's what mama would want me to do."

I sighed at her naïveness, "Osha… They lied to you. They're not really homeless, they just asked for money because… They're too lazy to work for it themselves and they felt the need to take it from someone smaller than them."

"But they walked me to school and made sure I got there safe."

My eyes widened at her statement, "Well… Now you've got me, okay? And… Please, don't be mad at me. They're not nice people."

She grinned at me in response, "I can't be mad at you big brother. I haven't seen you in forever. And if those boys are bad people I trust you. I just hope they don't try to hurt you."

I smiled, "Don't worry, Osha. They can't even touch me."

"Yeah, and that was so super cool how you fought them! Who taught you to do all that stuff, was it Travis?"

I gritted my teeth together before replying, "Umm… To be honest I don't really now, sis. I was just always good at fighting and they weren't that hard to beat."

"One does not just learn how to fight like you just did," a sudden unfamiliar voice cut me off.

Osha and I whirled around to face a Hitmonlee, and as I took a second to notice he was of no trouble to us I brought my paws to my side.

"Sorry, I just couldn't help but notice the squabble you had with those troublemakers. You definitely put them in their place. Perhaps you'd like to check into the upcoming P.F.T? Here's a flyer…" he handed me a slip of paper with information regarding a Pokemon Fighting Tournament of some sort, "If you're interested, try to be there first day of next month, early in the morning. Good luck to you, I have more flyers to pass out."

As we continued our walk, I stared down at the flyer which read:

 _Pokemon Fighting Tournament XI_

 _You are invited to the annual PFT, located in Skyloud City on February 1_ _st_ _. Fight against some of the regions strongest fighters in hopes to win the grand prize of 1 million Poke! Are you up for the challenge?_

 _Cost of participation: 500 Poke*_

 _Cost of Admission: See Back of Flyer for Seating Prices_

 _*When paying your participant fee, there are no refunds if you fail in the pretest or the tournament_

I simply grinned at the piece of paper, "Cool."

"What is it, Damian?" Osha asked almost ecstatically.

I looked over to Osha, who was jumping up and down trying to see the paper, "It's a flyer for the PFT. Some fighting tournament or something. I guess it's coming up in a couple of weeks…"

"OOOOOH! Damian, you should sign up! You'll beat all their butts," Osha nearly exclaimed.

I chuckled, "You think so?"  
"Uh-hunh, if you go to the kids version you can go sign up and fight. And I know you'll win."

I frowned, "You mean the youth division?"

"Yeah, the youth… thing…"

I shook my head at the thought. No way was I going to fight against a bunch of kids. I wanted to know how far this power of mine could really be taken. The only problem being, I'd have to make 500 Poke before this fight begins, so I supposed it was best to take things one step at a time.

But then the other problem, I'm not old enough to enter the adult division. You're considered an adult to them at 20 years old, or if you're over 15 and you've at least evolved once. And I don't even have that going for me.

I began to wonder if the king could possibly put a word in for me.

"I've seen one of the fights on TV before. Some of the Pokemon that go there are really strong, like you big brother."

I grinned confidently, "Well if they end up putting me in the youth division that's an easy 1 million Poke for ma. Then maybe we can move somewhere away from this war that's supposed to happen.:

"The war… Mama tells me it's gonna be bad. And I hear that Pokemon might die. You'll be coming with mama and me, right?"

I grinned at my sister, "Don't worry about me. I'm staying with you and ma the entire time. No one is going to hurt you or ma while I'm around."

"I'm not so much worried about mama. She's a good fighter. Can you beat mama in a battle?" Osha asked naively.  
My eyes widened at the question, and I could only scratch my head as I wondered if I really could beat ma or not. I took down those other two guys with no energy left.

"I dunno, Osha. I'll just have to wait and see if ma will actually want to battle with me or not. I mean, I did learn almost everything from her," I replied.

"But mama's old. I think you could probly beat her."

I laughed, "Why are you so obsessed with me beating up our mom?"

"Because my mama is the strongest Pokemon I know. She's never lost a fight, and I want to see if someone can actually beat her."

With a chuckle I replied, "Well, I'll see what she says-"

"Ohh! That's my school, alright I'm gonna be late so I have to hurry! Love you, Damian. Have fun looking for jobs and stuff."

Osha pulled me forward for a hug and sprinted away from me before I could even utter another word.  
"Have a good day at school," I muttered in confusion.

With an almost forced sigh, I whirled around and made my way towards town with high spirits and a confident grin.


	12. Chapter 12: Redemption

Making my way through the plaza I couldn't help but feel very uncomfortable. Every step I took, every move I made... It felt like I was being watched by everyone. But in all honesty they were looking.

They knew what I did, who I am, and what I could easily do to all of their stores. But I did my best to not let it get to me, because that was the old me. I was going to get my life back on track and let all of this blow over.

Ma mentioned I should check out the Exploration team guild if I felt like doing any kind of fighting, but honestly an exploration team sounded kind of exhausting. I was never one for traveling, I figured a nice and simple job like farming or even taking shifts for one of the stores could suit me a little while until I decide what I want to do for long term.

"Hey, kid..."

I stopped in my tracks and whirled around slowly to face a friendly enough looking Bayleef. She smiled at me and said, "Come here, I don't bite."

I gulped and shuffled to her booth which contained various fruits and vegetables.

"Uhh... Hi?" I said nervously.

"Hey, don't let the other guys here get to ya. We all know what you did but you're just a kid... I don't think they should hold something like against you."

I grinned, "Thanks, it means a lot."

She chuckled lightly, "No problem. You look lost, need some help with something?"

I bit my lip, thinking about my answer for a moment, "Umm... Actually I'm just trying to get a job. In the area."

The Bayleef laughed, "Is that so? It just so happens I need someone else to look over the shop with my apprentice Katarina. She's still learning so she could use some help during her shift. So if you're up to it I'd be happy to hand you an application. I just need to know how old you are."

"I'm fifteen," I replied eagerly.

"Ooh that fits then. Here ya go, you can fill that out whenever and it'll be a day or two while I look it over. I'm Bree by the way."

"Damian, and thanks a bunch," I said with a growing smile.

"Anyways, I'll let you get to it. And don't worry about not getting the job is all I can say, no one else has even applied yet. You seem like you're trying to get your life on track and I admire that," she replied.

"Thanks so... Umm... Actually before I go... How much do people know about me exactly? Like, what do they say?"

Bree sighed from what I could tell was discomfort, "Well... Some of the Pokemon here aren't the nicest, nor are they perfect. I wouldn't worry about it. But... The king did have posters of you made a while ago and... Yeah, I see where they're coming from but like I said don't let it bring you down. You're getting on the right path we all got memos telling us to basically forget about what happened but... Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. Best thing to do now is show them who you are now and rub it in their faces."

I smiled, "Alright, I'll do that. Thanks again Bree, it means a lot to know someone here doesn't see me as total scum."

"You are nothing of the sort. You're just a child with a bad upbringing. Also," Bree used one of her vines to grab an apple from the wooden bucket filled with what I could tell was ice. She handed to me, "here. A little something for the road."

I took the gesture greatly, "Wow, thanks... Say, why're you being so nice to me? I mean... I'm..." I leaned in closer to whisper, "a thief. Doesn't that bother you?"

She frowned, "You should learn not to label yourself as one thing. You see us Pokemon, we aren't like the food we eat. An apple can't be an orange, but a Pokemon can be if they really try hard enough."

I laughed at the thought of an Electrode becoming an orange then pushed it aside and said, "Yeah I get what you mean.

Bree paised, sighed, and finally said, "Well I have to get back to it. You have a great day, Damian."

I nodded, "Thanks a ton, Miss Bree."

We exchanged glances once more before I made my way through the rest of the plaza, more so to familiarize myself with the area. Occasionally taking bites out of the apple which was surprisingly better than one would expect.

The day was already going great for me and I had just started the job search! But to no surprise it did get worse.

As I walked by I could hear the murmurs of nearby shoppe owners and occasional customers. As I was ready to take another bite of the apple a tall Pokemon that I could see was a Mariwak swatted the apple out of my hand.

"Whoops," he said with a menacing grin.

I sighed and said, "Ya know... I was eating that."

"Sorry, didn't mean it. Maybe watch where your walking next time?" He replied smugly.

I bared my fangs, "Maybe you should be less of an ass hole."

"Ouch and after I apologized. That's not very neighborly of you. And here I was thinking you were trying to change for the better of the town," before I knew it he made a movement and he and I were covered in a cloud of smoke.

I closed my eyes to use my aura vision only to notice he was pinning me down by my left arm, which surprising to say the least.

"If I were you I'd straighten up that attitude of yours kid, otherwise get the hell out of my town. Everyone here knows about what you did. That was a pretty ballsy move stealing from the king, and suddenly he's just on board with letting you free. Look I don't know what you're up too but keep all of us out of it."

"Here's an idea..." I winced as I freed my arm, released a heavy load of aura energy to clear the smoke and knocked the guy off his feet with a quick leg sweep, "Leave me alone. I'm trying to get my stuff together and the rest of the town should see that too. And if you ever try to touch me again I-"

I looked around at the lot of people watching me just yell at this guy who appeared now defenseless, with an almost inaudible growl I stormed out of the plaza, my application being nearly crushed between my paws.


End file.
